This image is from the cover of The Shriver Report, a report conducted by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress on the impact women entering the workforce has had on society and the need for institutional change. ----
HOW IS THIS A SUSTAINABILITY PROBLEM?
- Well, women now make up 50% of the workforce, and in many cases are the primary or co-breadwinners of the household. As a result, families are now dependent on working women (and mothers). However, our government has failed to provide sufficient protections to both men and women to sustain a healthy work-life balance, which in turn has sustainability implications for society. We are in desperate need for a change in corporate values, away from profit motive!
- When households lose a source of income, they become dependent on credit cards to buy the basic essentials, and usually only afford them from places like Wal-Mart, which has detrimental effects on workers around the world (as far as seeking the cheapest of the cheap, which requires cheap labor and weak foreign labor laws).
- When households are dependent on working parents, children are left unattended or in the care of babysitters. Children are then left to be raised by television and video games, which advertising has manipulated (as demonstrated in the Matrix presentations). Lack of fostering/encouragement from parents can lead to future social implications for the child’s development, and society later on.
- Current systems overwork employees, do not provide security that will ease the stress of employees, and in the end, hurts society in increased health costs, child care demands, and forcing women to choose between family life and work (which in many cases is no longer an option at all as it would result in increasing poverty nationally).
- Inadvertently, my suggestive plan to change the system would contribute to improving air quality. ----
MATRIX I SEEK TO SOLVE The current values of the workplace do not value workers’ personal lives. I seek to shift company motives to provide workers with employment they can depend on, instead of making the most profit, and disregarding the negative impacts the profit motive has on workers. This new way of thinking would subsequently cause shifts of thinking in other aspects, such as seeking out welfare for other nations to live as we do and protecting the environment. ----
HOW SOLVE IT? : Revamp the workplace!
1. Foster the entrance of women into the workforce by providing parental leave, i.e. maternity and paternity leave. (See Parental Leave) Did You Know? : “The United States is the only industrialized country without any requirement that employers provide paid family leave and without nationwide government-sponsored paid family leave.” – Shriver Report
Policies Around the World:
- Canada – all working parents are provided 35 weeks, to be divided as desired between them. (Note: this is in addition to the 15 weeks of maternity leave). In most situations, a combination of maternity and parental benefits can be received up to a maximum of 50 weeks. Maternity and parental leave is paid for by the Employment Insurance system.
- Sweden - all working parents are entitled to 16 months paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and the state.
- Estonia – all working parents are entitled to 18 months of paid leave, starting up to 70 days before the due date. Fathers are entitled to paid leave starting from the third month after birth (paid leave available to only one parent at a time).
- UK - all female employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity (or adoption) leave, with the first six weeks paid at 90% of full pay and the remainder at a fixed rate. A spouse or partner of the woman (including same-sex relationships) may request a two week paid (at a fixed rate) paternity leave.
Suggested Policy for the US:
- Provide both parents with paid leave, givemother more leave as she must heal from labor as well as bond with the child [perhaps 6 months for mother, 3 months for father]
- Paid leave to be split by insurance and employer (pay is not required to be full salary amount, as structured in UK) ----
2. Draw clear lines on what constitutes fair dismissal and unfair dismissal. (See Job Security)
Did You Know? : “Most Americans believe it is illegal today for employers to fire a pregnant worker, but that is not the case. Unfortunately, there are many lawful reasons an employer in the United States can fire a pregnant worker … employers with (1) fewer than 15 employees are not covered by Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and are therefore under no obligation to treat all workers equally … (2) (if company has a no-leave policy) With no access to leave, women who by necessity must be away from work to give birth may lose their jobs … if a pregnant worker is (3) told by her doctor that she should not lift heavy weights or needs to stay off her feet in order to avoid negative health consequences for herself or her baby, then her employer is under no obligation to transfer her to work to accommodate these restrictions.” – Shriver Report
Policies Around the World:
- In UK, the guidelines as to what is fair and what is not are made clear by the Employment Rights Act of 1996. Questions as to whether dismissal is fair or not stands trial by employment tribunals (which hear disputes specifically between employees and employers).
Suggested Policy for the US:
- Structure our labor laws in such a way that employees are made clear of their rights and keep loopholes to a minimum. As structured in the UK, Acts must be passed to protect employees from losing their jobs, especially under circumstances that would cause employees to depend more heavily on them. ----
3. Make schedules and working conditions more flexible. With the technological advancements of our society, this flexibility would help families cope with home responsibilities without costing the company additional money. (Also, saves commuting pollution, child care expenses, and offers employees time to de-stress at home.) (See Flextime)
Did You Know? : Flextime in Australia is usually referred to as accumulated overtime hours that an employee can build up and exchange for the equivalent amount of time off.
Policies Around the World:
- Under flextime, there is typically a core period of the day when employees are expected to be at work (i.e. between 11 am and 3pm), while the rest of the working day is "flextime", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours in the region of what the employer expects, and subject to the necessary work being done.
- In 2003, the UK Government introduced legislation that gave parents of children under 6, or the parents of disabled children under 18, the right in law to request aflexible working arrangement from their employer.
Suggested Policies for the US:
- A combination of flextime and flex-place would best suit the ‘new’, nontraditional American families. Parents could alternate ‘shifts’ and/or alternate working from home. Also, make this option available to employees with young children, permanently ill children, or sick elders.
- Rework overtime!! Instead of paying overtime wages, grant paid days off for accumulated overtime hours. (Conditions to be negotiated between employers and employees.)
- Provide child care services within the company. This way, employees are more efficient at work (less worried), can check on their children during breaks, and are not rushed to leave work to pick them up or relieve the babysitter. ----
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Improvement in health for employees and their families: “According to a survey conducted by the National Life Insurance Company, 4 out of 10 employees state that their jobs are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful. Those in high stress jobs are three times more likely than others to suffer from stress-related medical conditions and are twice as likely to quit.” This results in high turnover rates that are counterproductive to corporations anyway.
- Decreased costs in national health care: “75-90% of physician visits are related to stress and, according to the American Institute of Stress, the cost to industry has been estimated at $200 billion-$300 billion a year.” “Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease and a weaker immune system. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.”
- Work stress adds to the financial implications of struggling families. A fundamental shift in corporate values to see their workers as humans, not inputs that can be externalized, would benefit society overall. This new way of thinking in the corporate world would lead to a changed appreciation for life, nature, and the environment. ----
STAKEHOLDERS
- Corporate/industry – These changes in policy may cost corporations some money, thus forcing them to adjust their ultimate profit-maximizing strategy.
- Working Men and Women – Employees will be more valued in the workforce. The de-stressing of the workplace will allow employees to lead healthier lives and spend more time with family, providing a balance between family and work. With a change in attitude on the employers’ side, employees may also learn to appreciate and value what is important in life.
- Society Overall– The US is lagging far behind in labor laws and worker rights, even though we have made progress over the years. As an industrialized nation, we do not value employees as humans, which has had detrimental impacts on how we view the world and our government.
- Government – It is up to our government to make the necessary changes, or be faced with another revolution advocating equal opportunity for work and life. ----
WHY DIFFICULT? Did You Know? : “50% of executives surveyed didn’t have plans to take a vacation. They decided to stay at work and use their vacation time to get caught up on their increased workloads.”
It is so far embedded in our culture to value the dollar over human well-being. The profit motive has changed our values as a society to the point where many Americans cannot even afford to take the vacation days they are offered. We have a lot to gain as a society in making changes to fit the modern American family. With this fundamental change in policy, we begin to shift our values; which will (hopefully) trickle its way into sustainable changes elsewhere.
"The Shriver Report - A Woman's Nation Changes Everything." A Woman's Nation. Center for American Progress. Web. 22 Apr. 2010. http://www.awomansnation.com/index.php
This image is from the cover of The Shriver Report, a report conducted by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress on the impact women entering the workforce has had on society and the need for institutional change. ----
HOW IS THIS A SUSTAINABILITY PROBLEM?
- Well, women now make up 50% of the workforce, and in many cases are the primary or co-breadwinners of the household. As a result, families are now dependent on working women (and mothers). However, our government has failed to provide sufficient protections to both men and women to sustain a healthy work-life balance, which in turn has sustainability implications for society. We are in desperate need for a change in corporate values, away from profit motive!
- When households lose a source of income, they become dependent on credit cards to buy the basic essentials, and usually only afford them from places like Wal-Mart, which has detrimental effects on workers around the world (as far as seeking the cheapest of the cheap, which requires cheap labor and weak foreign labor laws).
- When households are dependent on working parents, children are left unattended or in the care of babysitters. Children are then left to be raised by television and video games, which advertising has manipulated (as demonstrated in the Matrix presentations). Lack of fostering/encouragement from parents can lead to future social implications for the child’s development, and society later on.
- Current systems overwork employees, do not provide security that will ease the stress of employees, and in the end, hurts society in increased health costs, child care demands, and forcing women to choose between family life and work (which in many cases is no longer an option at all as it would result in increasing poverty nationally).
- Inadvertently, my suggestive plan to change the system would contribute to improving air quality.
----
MATRIX I SEEK TO SOLVE
The current values of the workplace do not value workers’ personal lives. I seek to shift company motives to provide workers with employment they can depend on, instead of making the most profit, and disregarding the negative impacts the profit motive has on workers. This new way of thinking would subsequently cause shifts of thinking in other aspects, such as seeking out welfare for other nations to live as we do and protecting the environment.
----
HOW SOLVE IT? : Revamp the workplace!
1. Foster the entrance of women into the workforce by providing parental leave, i.e. maternity and paternity leave. (See Parental Leave)
Did You Know? : “The United States is the only industrialized country without any requirement that employers provide paid family leave and without nationwide government-sponsored paid family leave.” – Shriver Report
Policies Around the World:
- Canada – all working parents are provided 35 weeks, to be divided as desired between them. (Note: this is in addition to the 15 weeks of maternity leave). In most situations, a combination of maternity and parental benefits can be received up to a maximum of 50 weeks. Maternity and parental leave is paid for by the Employment Insurance system.
- Sweden - all working parents are entitled to 16 months paid leave per child, the cost being shared between employer and the state.
- Estonia – all working parents are entitled to 18 months of paid leave, starting up to 70 days before the due date. Fathers are entitled to paid leave starting from the third month after birth (paid leave available to only one parent at a time).
- UK - all female employees are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity (or adoption) leave, with the first six weeks paid at 90% of full pay and the remainder at a fixed rate. A spouse or partner of the woman (including same-sex relationships) may request a two week paid (at a fixed rate) paternity leave.
Suggested Policy for the US:
- Provide both parents with paid leave, give mother more leave as she must heal from labor as well as bond with the child [perhaps 6 months for mother, 3 months for father]
- Paid leave to be split by insurance and employer (pay is not required to be full salary amount, as structured in UK)
----
2. Draw clear lines on what constitutes fair dismissal and unfair dismissal. (See Job Security)
Did You Know? : “Most Americans believe it is illegal today for employers to fire a pregnant worker, but that is not the case. Unfortunately, there are many lawful reasons an employer in the United States can fire a pregnant worker … employers with (1) fewer than 15 employees are not covered by Title VII and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and are therefore under no obligation to treat all workers equally … (2) (if company has a no-leave policy) With no access to leave, women who by necessity must be away from work to give birth may lose their jobs … if a pregnant worker is (3) told by her doctor that she should not lift heavy weights or needs to stay off her feet in order to avoid negative health consequences for herself or her baby, then her employer is under no obligation to transfer her to work to accommodate these restrictions.” – Shriver Report
Policies Around the World:
- In UK, the guidelines as to what is fair and what is not are made clear by the Employment Rights Act of 1996. Questions as to whether dismissal is fair or not stands trial by employment tribunals (which hear disputes specifically between employees and employers).
Suggested Policy for the US:
- Structure our labor laws in such a way that employees are made clear of their rights and keep loopholes to a minimum. As structured in the UK, Acts must be passed to protect employees from losing their jobs, especially under circumstances that would cause employees to depend more heavily on them.
----
3. Make schedules and working conditions more flexible. With the technological advancements of our society, this flexibility would help families cope with home responsibilities without costing the company additional money. (Also, saves commuting pollution, child care expenses, and offers employees time to de-stress at home.) (See Flextime)
Did You Know? : Flextime in Australia is usually referred to as accumulated overtime hours that an employee can build up and exchange for the equivalent amount of time off.
Policies Around the World:
- Under flextime, there is typically a core period of the day when employees are expected to be at work (i.e. between 11 am and 3pm), while the rest of the working day is "flextime", in which employees can choose when they work, subject to achieving total daily, weekly or monthly hours in the region of what the employer expects, and subject to the necessary work being done.
- In 2003, the UK Government introduced legislation that gave parents of children under 6, or the parents of disabled children under 18, the right in law to request a flexible working arrangement from their employer.
Suggested Policies for the US:
- A combination of flextime and flex-place would best suit the ‘new’, nontraditional American families. Parents could alternate ‘shifts’ and/or alternate working from home. Also, make this option available to employees with young children, permanently ill children, or sick elders.
- Rework overtime!! Instead of paying overtime wages, grant paid days off for accumulated overtime hours. (Conditions to be negotiated between employers and employees.)
- Provide child care services within the company. This way, employees are more efficient at work (less worried), can check on their children during breaks, and are not rushed to leave work to pick them up or relieve the babysitter.
----
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Improvement in health for employees and their families: “According to a survey conducted by the National Life Insurance Company, 4 out of 10 employees state that their jobs are ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful. Those in high stress jobs are three times more likely than others to suffer from stress-related medical conditions and are twice as likely to quit.” This results in high turnover rates that are counterproductive to corporations anyway.
- Decreased costs in national health care: “75-90% of physician visits are related to stress and, according to the American Institute of Stress, the cost to industry has been estimated at $200 billion-$300 billion a year.” “Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease and a weaker immune system. It can also result in poor coping skills, irritability, exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating. Stress may also lead to binge eating, smoking, and alcohol consumption.”
- Work stress adds to the financial implications of struggling families. A fundamental shift in corporate values to see their workers as humans, not inputs that can be externalized, would benefit society overall. This new way of thinking in the corporate world would lead to a changed appreciation for life, nature, and the environment.
----
STAKEHOLDERS
- Corporate/industry – These changes in policy may cost corporations some money, thus forcing them to adjust their ultimate profit-maximizing strategy.
- Working Men and Women – Employees will be more valued in the workforce. The de-stressing of the workplace will allow employees to lead healthier lives and spend more time with family, providing a balance between family and work. With a change in attitude on the employers’ side, employees may also learn to appreciate and value what is important in life.
- Society Overall– The US is lagging far behind in labor laws and worker rights, even though we have made progress over the years. As an industrialized nation, we do not value employees as humans, which has had detrimental impacts on how we view the world and our government.
- Government – It is up to our government to make the necessary changes, or be faced with another revolution advocating equal opportunity for work and life.
----
WHY DIFFICULT?
Did You Know? : “50% of executives surveyed didn’t have plans to take a vacation. They decided to stay at work and use their vacation time to get caught up on their increased workloads.”
It is so far embedded in our culture to value the dollar over human well-being. The profit motive has changed our values as a society to the point where many Americans cannot even afford to take the vacation days they are offered. We have a lot to gain as a society in making changes to fit the modern American family. With this fundamental change in policy, we begin to shift our values; which will (hopefully) trickle its way into sustainable changes elsewhere.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[posted April 30,2010]